The delivery of the Series 452—high-capacity EMUs for Renfe Cercanías and Rodalies being built by Alstom—has slipped by several months.
The programme has become contentious, as the manufacturer had committed to delivering the first two trainsets in June 2026, which did not occur. This commitment appeared in a company statement issued on 28 April, which read:
In that context, the delay to the project versus the baseline programme was analysed. Alstom confirmed completion of the testing phase and full mobilisation of the Barcelona teams and the wider company to deliver the first two trains in June, as well as a total of 16 units before the end of 2026.
Invertia reported yesterday that Alstom had met its commitment, triggering the dispute. In practice, the trains could not be handed over as type authorisation has not yet been granted.
Amid the row, Alstom has clarified that it never committed to a delivery date. The manufacturer says the undertaking made during the Invest in Spain Summit 2026 was to submit the technical dossier to the AESF (the Spanish ERA delegate) in May and to complete manufacturing (the industrial scope) in June.
Alstom adds that it is familiar with AESF timelines—which can extend to five months for a response—and would therefore not commit to a delivery date. Company sources stress careful use of terminology, while acknowledging that referring to “delivery” in the April statement was an error.